Last Saturday Jason Anderson got his first outdoor national win in very impressive fashion, making a late charge to reach third and take a 1-3 overall from the 2-2 of series points leader Chase Sexton and the 4-1 of Eli Tomac. And in the 250 class Jett Lawrence won again, despite feeling miserable from the flu. He bettered Justin Cooper as well as his older brother Hunter.

Last Saturday there was also a few unfortunate moments involving other riders around the track. First, a 450 got out of control atop the big step-up in practice and somehow bounced into the outside fence, hitting a spectator who was leaning against the fence. He had to be transported to the hospital but was released, thankfully without any major injuries. Then British rider Josh Gilbert went off the side of the track on the centerpiece downhill and whacked his helmet on a metal fencepost that was way too close to the track, especially for a section that fast and rough. Fortunately, he was okay as well.

Not so fortunate was Rockstar Energy Husqvarna’s RJ Hampshire, who got out of control going up the hip jump in the first section of the track. RJ got cross-rutted and went off the side of the track, which was a steep embankment down to the medic’s road. He had gotten tangled up with some trackside repeater banners, and as he fell down the embankment, one of the wooden posts that held the banners up poked him under his arm and into his chest. Also, his bike landed on Monster Energy/Pro Circuit Kawasaki spotter Tony Archer, who was standing down on the medical mule cart path. Archer was okay, but Hampshire, who finished the moto, later realized that the puncture also got the top part of his lung.

“I thought I would just get it stitched up and get back out there but they said no, I had to go to the hospital in case the lung collapsed,” RJ told me over the phone. “They ended up putting a tube in me, which then meant I had to stay in the hospital for 48 hours. I finally got out on Tuesday and flew straight home.” Hampshire is not racing this weekend but said he expects to be back at High Point next weekend.

It’s weird and unfortunate to have three incidents like that in one race, but they happened, and we need to learn from them all. The series needs to do a better job with how and where markers and banners are placed, because in the case of both Gilbert and Hampshire, these could have easily been avoided by just not having things like that so close to the actual racetrack.

And then there was the guy who almost interrupted the second moto when he nearly flew into Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing’s Justin Cooper with his rogue drone. We caught him pretty quickly with the help of some spectators standing near him, and he put the drone away and promised not to do it again. We didn’t have him arrested or even escorted out, because he had his young children with him. He was also told not to post the footage because he did not have a permit to fly in a state park around all those spectators and motorcycle racers, but he apparently couldn’t help himself and wanted to show off his self-proclaimed “rouge FPV pilot flying everywhere I shouldn’t” work (and yes, he misspelled rogue on his social media). When people responded unkindly to his postings and boastings, especially in regard to flying too close to the riders, he defended the actions and said the only mistake made was that we did not hire him.

Today, Raymond Ciardella received a lifetime ban from both Lucas Oil Pro Motocross and the Prairie City SRVA Park. He will also be getting a call from the FAA, as he apparently does not even have a drone license—and that’s a very big issue for them, as well as for the state parks commission.

Needless to say, it’s been a very busy week, and now we’re getting ready for tomorrow’s race, so let me turn this over to the other guys…

Chasing Chase (Jason Weigandt)

Everyone saw Justin Barcia and Malcolm Stewart battling hard for third in Monster Energy AMA Supercross points. Barcia’s bam-bam attempt to get through Stewart at the final round in Salt Lake, and beat him in points, got plenty of attention. Stewart ultimately got that third-place position, which was impressive and also a career high. You could make an argument, though, that Chase Sexton was really the closest challenger to Eli Tomac and Jason Anderson throughout the year. Sexton got a race win in San Diego and hovered around the podium for a while. He lost a bunch of points with some big midseason errors, but he was back to pushing Anderson at the last few rounds of the season, going 2-4-2 at the final three races. Really, if you take this year as a whole, Tomac, Anderson, and Sexton have been the fastest three on balance, and now they’re the only three holding moto wins early in Lucas Oil Pro Motocross.

If Sexton can remain consistent and challenge for this title, it will make for an easy clash of the generations. Tomac and Anderson are both 29, and it’s well documented that they’ve been battling since they were kids. Sexton is 22, he’s part of an entirely different group, but he’s rocketed well ahead of his peers (he’s on a similar 450 timeline as Dylan Ferrandis, but Ferrandis is closer to Anderson and Tomac on age). Incredible to think that just a few years ago everyone wondered if Sexton could close the gap on his old rival Austin Forkner and win in the 250 class. Now you can’t even make such comparisons. Sexton is well out front, and everyone else getting buzz in the 450s, Tomac, Anderson, Ken Roczen, Ryan Dungey, Christian Craig, Antonio Cairoli, Stewart, Barcia and more—are much older. It’s a weird trend here, with Sexton at the age when riders used to be in their prime, but now we’re seeing guys stay fast in and around age 30. Does this give him an automatic advantage in, say, two years when the old guys are even older? You can’t take anything for granted in racing, but when you look at how Sexton has performed all season, he’s already almost all the way there already.

As for the “super vet” group of Dungey and Cairoli, we must all remember Hangtown has traditionally been one of Dungey’s worst tracks. He’s ended up about 40-50 seconds off the lead at the motos this year, even with good starts, so there’s work to be done but I do expect him to get closer. The only question is how much closer. And the world is pumped Cairoli is going to a track outside of California just so he can get some more flavor, and also he raced here way back at the 2010 Motocross of Nations. He even battled Dungey that day!

This should make for a fun weekend. You know the Eli Tomac fans will be going crazy in Colorado, and Anderson (who is oddly from about the same distance away, but since he’s listed as New Mexico he doesn’t get the Colorado bump) is riding some serious momentum. I love the third round of a series. Everyone still feels they’re in it, everyone is still making changes and gains. Can Sexton really hold off the veterans or did he just hit the mark a little earlier than everyone else? We don’t know, and that’s what makes this so fun to watch.

BREAKING AWAY (Matthes)

Look, I know we're only four motos down, and making assumptions with twenty motos to go is a bold move, but it does seem like we're getting some clarity in both classes, right? Chase Sexton, Eli Tomac, Jason Anderson, and Ken Roczen seem like they're gonna hog up a lot of the podiums in the 450 Class, right? Yes, Christian Craig will be in there, and yes, I still think Justin Barcia will be there at some point, but we've seen a clear breakaway and some tiers in the class as of right now.

Same thing in the 250 Class: Jett and Hunter Lawrence have been there and will be there the rest of the way, with Hunter probably being the fastest guy in both motos at Hangtown. We've seen Jo Shimoda right there through the four motos, and then Justin Cooper is fixed! There's your four guys I think, and I might've put RJ Hampshire in there as a guy who can podium or win, but he'll be out for a while after a scary crash at Hangtown. Sure, a Michael Mosiman can win a moto or perhaps Seth Hammaker or Levi Kitchen can get on the box, but like the 450s, we're seeing a clear tier in the 250 Class through four motos and, in my opinion, barring injury (a big IF in our sport), that's what we're going to continue to see.

It's going to be a hot one in Colorado this weekend, and of course at elevation, so we'll see our first real test of fitness this weekend. Also, I don't know who was on Eli Tomac's bike last year at Thunder Valley when he went 11-10, but I think we'll see a better ET this weekend. I should say that we misspoke on our Hangtown Review pod when we mentioned ET switching from his hybrid air fork to an all-air one for the second moto (which really seemed extreme at the time), but in fact he was on an all-air fork all day long with just a setting change for the second moto. ET has tried the hybrid air and all-air during testing but is currently, or was at Hangtown, on the all-air fork. At Fox Raceway he was on the hybrid.

Pro Perspective (Jason Thomas)

Two rounds down, ten to go. This weekend is going to be more of a test for the riders, though. With temperatures heading to the mid-90s and Denver sitting above 5,000 feet of elevation, both man and machine will be asked hard questions.

The elevation wreaks havoc on the engines, starving them for oxygen and also creating a tendency for fuel to boil inside the tank. Teams will employ measures that likely won’t be used at any other round, such as using pump gas instead of race gas, ramping up piston compression, and reconfiguring fuel maps. All of those changes are an attempt to replicate engine performance and reliability that is normally taken for granted.

For the riders, the elevation and subsequent lack of oxygen are challenging but not impossible to overcome. There are two differing theories on timing and acclimation. Some believe coming to the event early and allowing your body to normalize provides a better chance for peak performance on Saturday. Others believe shortening that exposure to the altitude is the way to go. These riders will fly in late Friday night, get the job done Saturday, and fly back out before their body is any the wiser (theoretically). My thoughts on this are to do whatever your body seems to like more, everyone’s experience is a little different.

The other key for the weekend will be hydration. The high temperatures will only exacerbate an already tough day. Riders are often concerned with hydration for any Lucas Oil Pro Motocross race, but these conditions will put a premium on it. I would be getting IVs if possible (right up until the regulation window, anyway). Being able to push hard in the second half of the second moto might be a rarity, but if you are one of the lucky few, the results will reflect it.

HAPPY STARK DAY! (Matthes)

The embargo is over! The Stark Varg electric motorcycle reviews are out in the wild, and we here at Racer X have you covered. We sent JT over to Spain to ride the bike, and he produced content galore about the bike. He had never really ridden an electric bike much before, so it was interesting to get his take on how it worked (at first it wasn't great!), how he got used to it, the future of this bike in racing, and much more. He told us that Seb Tortelli plans on racing the Varg in the Italian and British Championships soon as well. Some good stuff from him on his initial impressions, and I'm looking forward to riding one on USA soil soon. Here's the podcast he and I did and the written article as well on Pulpmx.com and here's the Racer X Video he did.

2023 Husqvarna Introduction

This week we had another 2023 introduction this week, as it was Husqvarna's turn to let the media ride their 250/350/450s. Fox Raceway hosted us for the day, and we managed to bust out three different videos, each one diving into each bike's character and who it could be good for. I had a good group of guys with me to help test, as Kenny Day is a 5'8 145 lb. smaller rider who was perfect for a 250 comparison. Eddie Laret (43, 230 lb. weekend warrior) is looking for a bike that doesn't wear him out like a 450, so he helped with the 350 video. Lastly David Martinez is a fireman who loves his Honda 22 CRF450R but struggles with stability/rigidity, so I thought getting him on a steel frame for an opinion would help the non-Austrian motorcycle owners create their own decision on if the Husqvarna would be the correct choice for them. I think getting backstories of test riders is important for the viewer to be able to relate in order to make them feel like they’re making the right decision. Dirt bikes are a crap-ton of money, and spending it on a bike you might not like is not an option. You need to feel like you can trust the information you’re getting. We hope we can provide you with that with these Husqvarna videos! 

2022 Loretta Lynn's Amateur National

Looks like we are headed back to the Ranch! Aden and I qualified out of the Fox Raceway SW Regional last weekend, so I don't have to go to Utah for that regional. Thank you, baby Jesus! Aden qualified in 250 B and Schoolboy 2, and I will be racing one class, 40 Plus. This whole Monster Energy AMA Amateur National Motocross Championship deal is a big undertaking and expensive, so congrats to all the families that qualified and are able to go. I will be documenting our journey over on my site, keeferinctesting.com, as well as doing some shows on the cost breakdown and all that it takes to get to the ranch on the RMATVMC Keefer Tested Podcast. We are excited to get back to Tennessee and spend one of the best weeks in motorcycling at the Dude Ranch in August!

VEGAS 13 (Matthes)

Weege and myself do this Leatt ReRaceables Podcast every so often, and this week we featured the Vegas 2013 SX finale where the two 250SX title fights went down to the wire. First it was Ken Roczen and Eli Tomac (imagine that?) and also Wil Hahn and Marvin Musquin. Some interesting stuff in here, as we called Wilbur up and he detailed his broken hand suffered in practice, how he never took his glove after that, and how he talked to Musquin on the line before the main event. Also stay for the story about how his the team handled his contract situation after he won and pointed out. All good stuff, listen here.

The Next Generation (Mitch Kendra)

I went up to High Point Raceway over the Memorial Day holiday week for the Loretta Lynn’s Regional Qualifier. It was great getting to watch some of the up-and-coming names in the sport such as Haiden Deegan, Drew Adams, Logan Best, Thor Powell, Luke Fauser, and much more in person. There was great racing in all the classes, and we even got to see some of the top riders in each class battle for race wins! Deegan finished the day by taking the moto win in the final race with a few whips en route to the checkered flag. Check out the full High Point Raceway Regional gallery here. 

Factory Ride (Mitch Kendra)

I was back at High Point Raceway this past weekend—actually, right across the street at Mathews Farm—for the eighth round of the Grand National Cross Country Series, the Mason-Dixon GNCC. This is always a good event, and one I had raced in the past. I do not have much experience riding/racing GNCCs or similar tight woods sections, but I have raced this event two times and kinda know what to expect. The conditions are tough (deep ruts and so many tree roots literally everywhere) but usually not as brutal as, say, the Ironman GNCC, which can turn into a complete muddy mess, or the Snowshoe GNCC, which has more rocks on the course than anything else. So I set my eyes on racing this year’s event and put in some seat time on my bike and did gym/cardio work. I also received help from Yamaha. Waaaaay more helped than I expected!

I expected a stock YZ250FX to race but showed up to a fully prepped GNCC race machine with all the bells and whistles. “I get to race this bike?!” I thought to myself, as a #310 Racer X machine sat among the AmPro Yamaha Racing team bikes of Layne Michael, Mike Witkowski, Rachael Archer, and amateur Cooper Jones. I was already nervous for the race, but having a full factory race bike upped those nerves even more! The team put together a plan, and there were no expectations for me on the day, but we executed as best we could—I managed to both leave healthy and finish the race. I cannot say thank you enough to Mike Ulrich, Randy Hawkins, Corey MacDonald (Steward Baylor Jr.’s mechanic who built the bike), Yamaha, and the entire AmPro Yamaha Racing team! Stay tuned for more on my experience as a factory GNCC rider for the day.

And in the PM Pro Bike race we saw another first-time winner this season with Ricky Russell taking a huge win for multiple reasons. Russell had won an overall back in 2017 but has been banged up a few times since then, most notably in 2020 when he suffered a serious cut to his leg from his handlebars breaking as he was bleeding severely out in the woods. Luckily, Russell was okay after the incident, but it was a long road back from that injury. However, the #212 did not give up. And last week Russell’s good friend Torin took his own life. Russell celebrated the emotional day with a full Steward Baylor Jr. loop-out upon crossing the finish line. Everyone was happy for Russell, as he was surrounded by friends, family, and fans immediately, all cheering him on. And to top things off, Russell’s Coastal Racing GasGas teammate Ryder Lafferty claimed the XC2 class win for the team to go 1-1 in the top two classes. Congrats to Russell, Lafferty, team manager Barry Hawk, and the entire Coastal Racing GasGas team!

After lying low this weekend at home, I will be back at High Point Raceway in a week’s time for the High Point National. Hope to see you there!

Hey, Watch It!

Trey Canard's TedX talk

450 Hangtown race edit

250 Hangtown race edit

Kellen Brauer’s Race Examination video:

Washougal Loretta Lynn Regional Highlights | "The Story of Us"

Random Notes

For the latest from Canada, check out DMX Frid’EH Update #23.

Thanks for reading Racerhead. See you at the races!